§ 42. Major Sir K. FRASERasked the Minister of Health whether, although the salaries or bonuses of various classes of local government officers were increased from time to time at the request of the Ministry of Health to meet the increases in the cost of living, no provision has yet been made by the Ministry for securing a reduction to follow the fall in the cost of living; whether he will state if rural district councils and other local governing bodies have no power to reduce salaries or bonuses except by consent of the officials themselves; and whether the Ministry have issued any circular or instruction to this effect?
§ Sir A. MONDMy hon. and gallant Friend has been misinformed. I am sending him a copy of a circular which I issued to local authorities in August last drawing attention to the reduction in the Civil Service scale of war bonuses, and I am about to issue a fresh circular with regard to the further reduction which will take place as from the 1st of March. No sanction has been or will be given by me to the payment of war bonuses in excess of the Civil Service scale. The consent of the officials is not required to a reduction of salaries or bonuses unless the local authority have bound themselves by a contract.